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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. board — to get on
  7. cue — a hint
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. rush — hurry
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chip — to eat
  17. dip — to sink
  18. cue — for pool
  19. land — to come down
  20. land — ground
  21. land — a country
  22. cue — a signal
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. board — a committee

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com